There’s a gey guid reason that Northern Ireland cannae be dunted aboot like the rest o the nations in these isles: It’s a tinderbox, wi a lang history o murder an reprisal. Fowk hae been shot in the heid fir maitters mair trivial than a hard border wi the republic. Mak nae mistake a mishandled Brexit may lead tae cultural an economic ruin fir Scotland, but in Northern Ireland it could see a return tae violence.

Mony hae ettled tae ging doon a peacefu gait. Cathal Goulding, wha lead the IRA in the 1960s, rin doon the military side o the movement, wi a preference fir peacefu approaches sic an trade unionist an education tae achieve non-sectarian class-consciousness. He wis dingied by the republican movement as the Provisionals wrocht a new bloody confrontation wi the Brits insteid.

Prime Minister Edward Heath, wha’d got hissel insnarlt in the unco muir o Irish politics in the early seeventies, ettled tae big a pooer-sharin executive in the North that wid gie aa pairties a consulting role in the rinnin o the state. Owre twa years o canny negotiations, a complex solution wis fashioned. Kent as the Sunningdale Agreement, Britain wid retain pooer in Northern Ireland, but ilka side o society wid hae their voice heard. A Cooncil o Ireland, makkit up o representatives fae the Republic, fae the North an fae Britain, wid get thegither an wark tae big up a fairer solution fir aabdy.

The Peace Process itsel is fresh enough in maist o oor memories that I neednae ging owre that grun. Its fair tae say that the process took cool heids aa roon, support an guidance fae America, a leader (Blair) desperate tae mak a nemme fir hissel as a peacemaker an statesman, as weel as a wheen ither factors.

This is a lang wey tae say that Peace isnae just summit ye can tak fir granted in Ireland. A tweet fae Ruth Davidson gied it big licks aboot how we maun aa be thirled tae the same Brexit (nae maitter appairently whit the cost tae life, property an peace) shaws how ignorant mony fowk are aboot whit they are dealin wi.

Well you know Sandy , whether it is in Scots or English it makes no difference , the Government of Scotland , eg., the SNP , are the only government speaking sense in the whole of the UK since this sorry debacle was contrived by a bunch of hard right Tory’s . No , Scotland is not Northern Ireland and Scots know that !

I agree with the author – and am worried that Scotland and London trying to get the same “EU aligned” deal as NI may tip the scales in Westminster as too costly, and scupper Northern Ireland’s chances for a sensible way to keep from having a hard border. The DUP have a lot of power in this time but it would be tragic to see a hard border between north and south Ireland emerge as the only way forward currently and for the foreseeable future. This is a really deep problem with no easy winners. I feel for the people of Ireland, and for the negotiators on both sides.

Before Brexit I could see that the land border would be a fruitful source of difficulties and that it would need some thought. Not only did I have no idea what the possible answers might be I hadn’t even worked out what the questions were.

It seems that I was a long way ahead of Brexiteers in the cabinet.

I am told by someone who has done it that if you fly to either part of Ireland and step into a taxi you will get a critique of the intellectual strengths and the capabilities of leading members of the UK cabinet. Not only will you get the same analysis in any bar, North or South, whether people are Protestant or Catholic, Left or Right, Remainers or Leavers, it isn’t easy to avoid it.